TL;DR Is it time to move on? Deciding to quit is rarely about a single bad day; it’s about identifying patterns that stall your career or affect your well-being. Before you resign, check these four key indicators:
- The "Sunday Scaries" Test: If work-related dread is affecting your sleep or physical health consistently, your environment may be toxic.
- Stalled Growth vs. Temporary Boredom: Are you lacking new challenges, or just in a slow season? If your H3-level responsibilities haven't evolved in 12+ months, you may be plateauing.
- Market Value Check: Check whether your compensation has kept pace with your industry. Chronic underpayment is often a sign of being undervalued.
- Cultural Misalignment: If the company’s internal values no longer match your personal goals, even a high salary won’t prevent long-term burnout.
Quitting a job in today’s economy is a calibrated risk: the labor market is more selective than it was in the early 2020s, and optional career moves may carry higher opportunity costs. Though 2026 started with a bump to overall jobs numbers, 2025 was the weakest year for job growth since the pandemic, and one of the weakest years overall in more than two decades.
Between continued layoff news, rigid return to office policies, and lingering unemployment rates, it’s no surprise that workers feel fatigued, but leaving without a better offer could be even more stressful. Instead of racing to draft a resignation letter, workers should follow a five-step strategy:
- Diagnose the problem: Understand whether you’re facing career stagnation, lack of upward mobility, a toxic work environment, burnout symptoms, or something else.
- Decide what you want from work: Explore opportunities to change your role, team, or skillset within your existing company.
- Launch your job search: It’s less stressful to find a new job when you already have a job.
- Plan a resignation timeline: Consider your cash flow, benefits, references, and future options.
- Prioritize your health and well-being. Treat mental health—and your legal and financial well-being—as priorities, not afterthoughts.
#1 How do you know if it’s time to quit your job?
You can’t address a problem if you don’t know what the problem is. Think about the challenges that are fueling your desire to quit. Common reasons for leaving a job can include career stagnation, toxic work culture, lack of upward mobility, and burnout. The good news is that some of those issues can be fixed by working toward solutions with your current employer.
Glassdoor Community members say that it’s best to exhaust your options before taking the leap, and suggest looking for a new team or function within your current company first.
“Give yourself some time and explore something different within the organisation - a new team or function maybe.
Agile Coach, Manager 1
However, if you have already tried and you have contemplated quitting for over 6 months then just do it.
There are other stop gap jobs you could do in the interim, it may not earn as much as where you are but it could make you more fulfilling..”
Glassdoor reviews can help you determine if you’re dealing with company-wide instability or just a bad manager. When reading your company’s reviews, search for anxiety keywords like instability, anxiety, dread, fear, exhaustion, and job security. Also, scan for words like "uncertain," "helpless," or "constantly worried," and be sure to note the date of the review. If you see a pattern, you might be better off finding a new job.
#2 Decide what you want: From professional development opportunities to promotions
Before quitting, consider what changes would make you feel confident about staying—things like more money, a promotion, continuing education, or transferring to another department. It costs companies a lot to lose talent, and the lengths they will go to keep you might surprise you.
Begin with a simple exercise to help you reverse-engineer a better job. Consider a day when you felt fulfilled at work. Think about what made it special, what you were doing, and what made you happy that day. Consider what positions or companies you could work for that could potentially recreate that feeling, and meet with your manager to discuss possibilities.
“If you have a more ideal image of your job that you want to create, map it out,” says organizational psychologist Adam Grant. “Go to your boss, go to a couple of colleagues, and say, ‘Here’s what I’d love to be doing. Here’s how I think it might add value. Can we create a scenario where I get to do that at least as 5-10% of my time?’”
#3 Launch your job search and focus on company culture alignment
If you hate your job, you may want to simply quit and figure out what you’ll do later. Without a plan for what’s next, you’ll only feel temporary relief. It’s better to run toward a new opportunity than away from an unsatisfying job.
Start with the question “What else could I be doing?” Next, think about the companies you admire, and look for open roles within those organizations. (Need inspiration? Let Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work and Best-Led Companies rankings spark some ideas.)
Treat your search process as an important project. Give yourself benchmarks and deadlines for tasks like updating your resume, completing training in new skillsets, and networking. Be intentional about targeting companies that offer the kind of work environment you need.
#4 Plan your resignation timeline to minimize stress
If you need a regular paycheck and health insurance, wait to leave until you find another job. If you have a financial cushion to sustain you during a job search — Glassdoor Community members suggest 6-12 months’ salary — create a budget and project how long you have to search. Whether you’re mulling a career pivot or just a job change, consult the Glassdoor salaries page to make sure you have an accurate idea of the kind of income you can expect.
Before sprinting away, also consider personal obligations and professional integrity. If you’re a key player on a high-profile project and leave in the middle of it, you risk burning bridges. If you can, plan to resign when the workload is lighter.
Finally, if there are rumors of layoffs within your company, consider waiting things out or speaking to your manager about a voluntary separation. Leaving through a layoff may put you in a better financial position with perks like severance pay, COBRA health insurance extensions, and unemployment benefits. As an account director in the Glassdoor Community phrased it, “Allowing them to let you go versus resigning is, in fact, the right choice.”
Note on Voluntary Separation: While waiting for a layoff or seeking a voluntary separation can offer financial perks like severance and unemployment benefits, these options are highly dependent on your specific company policy and local labor laws. Before making a move, review your employee handbook or consult with an HR representative to understand the specific terms of separation in your region.
#5 Prioritize your health and well-being: Navigating burnout symptoms and toxic work environments
There are red flags that indicate you should quit your job immediately. If your mental and/or physical health is endangered because of the stress, pressure, and working conditions at your job, or if your job is making you sick, get out as soon as you can. No job is more important than your health.
Similarly, if you are concerned about potential legal or financial fallout from remaining in a professionally dubious organization, talk to an attorney about your rights and obligations.
If you think you’re suffering from work-related burnout, consider speaking with a mental health professional. In some cases, you may be able to take temporary medical leave to address those underlying issues and return to your job with the tools you need to thrive.
Glassdoor is here to help you find a job you love. Get more tips from professionals in the Glassdoor Community Career Pivot Bowl.